Telephone system.



H. P. CLAUSEN'. TELEPHONE SYSTEM. APPLICATION'HLED SEPT. 2. 1916- Patented Feb.13,1917.

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f UNTIIIED STATES ifATENiT m HENRY P. CLAUSEN, or MOUNT VERNON,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTER N' ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P; CLAUsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented cer- Y tain new and useful Improvements in Teleimproved signaling means for such tele phone systems.

In accordance with one feature of thisin i'ention, a line circuit, to which a main and an extension telephone are connected, is provided with signaling means whereby a party at the main telephone, upon responding to the actuation of the usual signal and finding that the call is for the party at the extension telephone, can, by actuating a key, start the operation of-a signaling device for the extension telephone. If, then, the party at the 7 extension telephone does not answer within apredetermined period of time, the signaling device furnishes a characteristic indication of this fact whereupon the first party may again take control of the line by removing his receiver from its hook, or, by disregarding the signal, may allow the apparatus to be automatically restored to its normal position.

This invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawing showing one embodiment of the invention, in which all the apparatus is shown in its normal and unactuated condition; wherein Figure 1 shows a subscribers main telephone, an ex tension telephone and signaling apparatus connected to a subscribers line circuit; and Fig. 2 shows in perspective a portion of the switching mechanism of the signaling apparatus.

In Fig. 1 of the'drawing, A is a subscribers main telephone, B an extension telephone, and C signaling apparatus associated with line wires 1 and 2 forming a line circuit. It is believed that this invention will be fully understood from a 'descriptionoi' I I 7 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Application filed September 2, 1916. Serial No. 118,243.

Feb.f13, 1917.

the operation of the system shown in the drawing, and it will be so described. I

It will be assumedthat the operator at the central office has completed a connection with the subscribers line circuit, and that the ringer at main telephone A has been operated by ringing current from the central office. It will be further assumed thatthe party at main telephone A; upon-answering the call, finds that the party at the extension telephone B is desired. In order tosignal the party at extensiontelephone B, the party at the main telephone A actuate's a key 3 and at the same time restores the receiver to the switchhook. The actuation of key 3 causes the energization of a stepping magnet4 over a circuit from battery 5, through'engaged contact springs 7, 7, winding of stepping magnet 4: and the contacts of key 3 back to battery 5. Upon being energized, stepping;

magnet 4 attracts an armature 1O pivotedat 6,"the' upper endof which carries a springpressed stepping pawl 8, 'and the lower end of which normally maintains contact springs 7, 7 in engagement. Upon'the at-' traction of armature 10, the stepping pawl 8 engages a toothof a ratchet wheel 11 to advance it one step in the direction indicated by the arrow, and permits the disengagement of contact springs 7, 7. The ratchet wheel 11 carries with it a wiper 12 and a cam 13. At the completion of the first step of ratchet wheel 11, the cam 13 engages the free end of contact spring 32, moving it into engagement with contact spring 33, and wiper l2 permits the engagement of contact springs 1 1, 14c and 16, 16. The engagement of these contact springs causes the energization of a holding magnet 18 over a circuit from battery at the central ofiice (not shown) over line wire 2, winding of the holding magnet 18, engaged Contact springs 32, 33, then in parallel through contact springs 14:, 1% and 16, 16'and the transmitters at main telephone A and extension telephone B, and then over line wire 1 back to the battery at the central office. Current in this path causes the operation of the usual supervisory relay in the calling end of the cord circuit to efii'ace'the super-v visory signal. Upon being energized the holding magnet 18 attracts an armature 21 pivoted at 19, the upper end of which carries a spring-pressed holding pawl 31, and the lower end of which controls the engagement of contact springs 23, 23. Upon the attraction of armature 21, the holding pawl 31 engages a tooth of ratchet wheel 11 to prevent it from moving backward under the force exerted by a spring connected to the wiper 12, while the armature 10, now' unattracted due to the deenergization of stepping magnet at following the disengagement of contact springs '7, 7, is being returned to its normal position by spring 20 preparatory to taking another step. The engagement of contact springs 23, 23 establishes a shunt circuit around key 3, thereby rendering the circuit for the stepping magnet 4: independent of kev 3. The stepping magnet & now alternately attracts and releases the armature 10 as it is energized at the beginning of each step by the engagement of contact springs 7, 7, and denergized at the completion of each step by the disengagement of contact springs 7, 7. The step-by-step rotation of ratchet wheel 11 causes the wiper 12 to move into successive engagement with contacts 2%, thereby intermittently operating signaling devices 26 and 27 located respectively at stations B and A over a circuit from battery 5, through wiper 12, one of the contacts 21, signaling devices 26 and 27 in parallel, back to battery 5. Assuming that the party at extension telephone B does not answer by removing his receiver from the switchhook within the predetermined period of time needed for wiper 12 to pass over contacts 24, wiper 12 will move into successive engagement with contacts 25, thereby connecting battery 30 in series-aiding connection with battery 5, and causing an increase of current through the signaling devices 26 and 27. The increase of current through signaling devices 26 and 27 causes each of them to give a characteristic signal different from that just previously given when battery 30 was not in the circuit. The signal given when batteries 5 and 3O are in series is, as before mentioned, different from that given when battery 5 alone is in circuit, and this characteristic signal is for the purpose of ad vising the party at the main telephone A that the other party has not answered. If the main telephone A and the extension telephone B are so located that a single signaling device can be heard by the parties at both telephones, then one of the signaling devices either 26 or 27 may be omitted. Further assuming that neither party responds to this characteristic signal, the wiper 12 will move out of engagement with the last contact 25. The cam 13 thereupon moves out of engagement with the contact spring 32, allowing it to resume its normal position and to disengage contact spring 33.

The disengagement of contact springs 32 and 33 causes the deenergization of the holding magnet 18, whereupon spring 9 returns armature 21 to its normal position, causing holding pawl 31 to move out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 11, and permitting the disengagement of contact springs 23, 23.

The disengagement of the contact springs 23, 23 opens the circuit of stepping magnet 4, which thereupon releases its armature 10. The ratchet wheel 11 is thereupon returned to normal position, and contact springs 7 7 are again in engagement. Upon the return of the ratchet wheel 11 to normal position, the hereinbefore traced circuit, including the central oflice battery, is opened, whereupon the supervisory relay will release to cause the operation of the disconnect signal. in order that the holding magnet 18 may not be energized at any time during the return of the ratchet wheel 11 to normal position, the rearward end of the cam 13 is bent upward so that during the return of the ratchet wheel 11 to normal position, the free end of contact spring 32 travels along the under side of the cam 13. This is more clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Should the party at extension telephone B have answered while the signaling device 26 was in operation, the removal of the receiver from the switchhook would place a winding of induction coil 3-1 in shunt of the winding of the holding magnet 18. The resistance of this shunt path is low com-v pared with the resistance of the winding of holding magnet 18, so that the armature is now released and retracted to normal position, whereupon all the signaling apparatus is returned to normal position, and the operation of the signaling devices 26 and 2Tis stopped.

It will also be seen that should the party at the main telephone A have removed the receiver from the switchhook while the signaling devices 26 and 27 were in operation, the holding magnet 18 would have released its armature 21 and all signaling apparatus would have been returned to normal position in the manner hereinbetore described.

It is thus seen that either the party at main telephone A or the party at the extension telephone B can obtain control of the line at any time by removing their respective receivers from the switchhooks, and further,-that should neither party answer the call after the signaling mechanism has once been started, the mechanism will automatically release the line and return to its normal condition after a period of time determined by the adjustment of the apparatus.-

In the systems of signaling previously used for this class of service, it has been necessary for the party answering the call to wait upon the line until the party at the ex has clearly been tension telephone responded. This resulted in a considerable loss of time on the part of the answering party. Such a loss of time obviated in" a system in accordance with this invention, since it allows the party at the main telephone to at once restore his receiver to its hook, knowing that the improved signaling means will satisfactorily summon the party at the extension telephone, or failing to get a response, Will so advise him in order that he may again converse with the calling party, or, not desiring to do this, he will know that the line will automatically be released and that all the apparatus will be restored to its normal condition.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a islu-rality of subscribers telephones connected thereto, a signaling device for one of the telephones, apparatus adapted when started to operate continuously for a predetermined period of time to cause the operation of the signaling device, and means controlled at another of the telephones for starting the apparatus.

2. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, apparatus adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the apparatus, and a source of current brought into circuit with the signaling device by the operation of the apparatus.

3. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled step-by-step device adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the step-by-step device, and asource of current brought into circuit with-the signaling device by the operation of the stepby-step device.

4. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled step-by-step device adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the step-by step device, a source of current brought into circuit with the signaling device by the operation of the step-bystep device for causing the signaling device to furnish a signal, and means brought into circuit with the source of current and the signaling device at a predetermined advancedposition of the step-bystep device for causing the signaling device to furnish a different signal.

5. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a

main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled stepty-s'tepdevice adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the step-by-step device, asource of current brought into circuit with" theysignaling device by the operation of the stepby-step device for causing the signaling device to furnish a signal, and a second source of current naling device at a predetermined advanced position of the step-by-step device for causing the signaling device to furnish a different signal. V I

6. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, apparatus adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time for causing the operation of the signaling device, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the apparatus, and

means controlled at one of the telephones for stopping the operation of the signaling device. 4

7. In a telephone system, alline circuit, a main and an extension tele )hone connected thereto, a signaling device tor the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled step-bystep device adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the device, a source of current brought into circuit with the signaling device, and means controlled at one of the stations for interrupting the circuit of the signaling device.

8. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension" telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled rotatable device adapted when started to 0p erate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the rotatable device, a source of current brought into circuit with the signaling device by the operation of the rotatable device for causing the signaling device to furnish a signal, and means brought into circuit with the source of current and the signaling device at a predetermined advanced position of the rotatable device for causing the signaling device to furnish a different signal. 7

9. In a telephone system, a line circuit, a main and an extension telephone connected thereto, a signaling device for the extension telephone, an electromagnetically controlled rotatable device adapted when started to operate for a predetermined length of time, means controlled at the main telephone for starting the rotatable device, a source of current brought into circuit with the signalbrought into circuit with the siging device by the operation of the rotatable signaling device to furnish a difierent device for causing the signaling device to signal.

furnish a signal, and a second source of cui'-- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe rent brought into circuit with the signaling my name this 1st day of September, A. D. 10 5 device at a predetermined advanced position 1916.

of the step-by-step device for causing the HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the commissioner oi' Patents, Washington, D. C. 

